Take the large one? Take the small one? Or just the size inbetween? Difficult decision, I get it!

Purchasing a new piece of art for your home or office may seem a daunting task. Artwork size, colour and subject matter, how to integrate new pieces into a group of existing ones, how to arrange new artwork around existing furniture and room features and what frame style to choose are just some things to consider.

Let’s address some of these aspects individually and shed some light into the entire process of buying new artwork from purchasing it over framing it over hanging it up to enjoying it for years to come.

Medium-sized artwork placed above furniture. Width of the artwork approx. ¾ of width of sofa.

How to Hang Your New Artwork

As a general guide, hang art at eye-level. This allows comfortable viewing with the artwork centered within the viewer’s field of vision.

In open spaces hang your artwork at a height of around 60 inches between the center of the artwork and the floor. If your artwork has a vertical side length of 60in, the upper edge of your artwork would be at around 90in from the floor, the lower edge at around 30 in.

This rule is a general guideline which works in open spaces where furniture is not present or doesn’t interact with the artwork. If you hang your art in a room where people mostly sit, for example your dining room or a living room dominated by large sofas and armchairs, the art should be hung a little lower.

When you hang artwork above existing furniture or a fireplace, for example, a general rule of thumb recommends a gap of around 6 to 8 inches between the lower edge of the artwork and the top of the feature or furniture. But, as mentioned above, always listen to your instinct, and adjust accordingly. A small piece of artwork, for example, will most likely require a far bigger gap than a medium or large piece of art.

If you have to arrange your artwork around furniture or any features or your room, such as a room corner, then you may have to break that rule and adjust the width or height to match the artwork position with the rest of the room.

Two or Three Pieces of Art

If you want to hang two or three pieces of art next to each other, consider them one larger work of art and apply the same rules, treat the entire group as if it was just a single piece of artwork. Leave a gap of 2 to 4 inches between the artwork as a general rule of thumb, but keep these gaps narrower if the individual pieces represent one coherent motive. Keep a consistent distance between them and most often the same sizes match best in groups of two or three.

Arranging More Than Three Smaller Pieces of Artwork

Arranging a group (more than three) of smaller artwork does follow similar rules, but requires more individual adjustment.

Regard the entire group just like a single large piece of art and try to apply the 60in height and ⅔ to ¾ with rule where the most centered piece represents the center of the group. Groups of smaller artworks have to be arranged according to personal taste, and the given space. Almost always you will want the arrangement to be adjusted based on the subjects, the colours or the artist where the group consists of multiple artists. Here again, the choice is yours and there is no right or wrong!

Always keep in mind that no rule should override your personal gut feeling. Get the size you think fits best into your existing collection of artwork and choose the frame that you like the best. And once it’s time to find the best place for your new acquisition, remember that no rule is set in stone, rather does it often make sense to break a rule to achieve a certain look or to make a statement. So don’t feel restricted by what you read or what people tell you.

If a rule makes sense, and the result pleases your eyes, follow it, if it doesn’t, ignore it and follow your instinct!

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